TOWSON, Md. – The Towson men’s basketball team has been picked as the sixth-best mid-major team in the nation by NBCSports.com leading into the 2013-14 season.

Wichita State topped the power rankings after advancing to the Final Four in 2013, and Harvard came in at No. 2. Rounding out the Top 5 are Southern Mississippi, Indiana State and Denver.

Towson opponents North Dakota State (No. 7) and College of Charleston (others to watch) were also noted in the rankings. The Tigers visit the Bison Sports Arena to take on NDSU on December 21 and will play a home-and-home against Charleston as the Cougars begin their first season in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

In addition to the team accolades, Towson senior forward Jerrelle Benimonwas named to the NBC Sports Mid-Major Preseason All-America first team. Benimon averaged 17.1 points and 11.2 rebounds last season en route to earning Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America and 2013 CAA Player of the Year accolades.

The Tigers posted an 18-13 record last season, going 13-5 in league play. It was Towson’s most wins since the 1993-94 season and most victories ever in the CAA. The Tigers return four of five starters and over 85 percent of their scoring from a year ago.

TIGER FOOTBALL SET TO MAKE TWO APPEARANCES ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK GAME SCHEDULE

RICHMOND, Va. – The Towson University football team will make two appearances on the NBC Sports Network this season as part of the Colonial Athletic Association’s package on the network.

NBC Sports is scheduled to televise five CAA games this season as CAA Football continues to grow its ever-expanding national exposure.

On October 12, NBC Sports visits Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium for the Tigers’ CAA showdown with Villanova at 7:00 p.m. Towson and Villanova were two of four teams that shared the CAA championship last season.

On November 23, NBC Sports Network will deliver its final CAA Football game of the season when James Madison visits Unitas Stadium for the regular season finale at 3:30 p.m.

The NBC Sports Network schedule kicks off on September 7 at 3:30 p.m. when Delaware hosts Delaware State in the schools’ annual “Route 1 Rivalry” matchup.

On October 12, NBC Sports Network will present a CAA Football doubleheader. National coverage begins with Richmond visiting in-state rival James Madison at 3:30 p.m. Coverage continues at 7 p.m. when Villanova visits Towson.

NBC Sports Network’s coverage of CAA Football continues on November 9, when New Hampshire hosts James Madison at 12:30 p.m.

NBC Sports Network will deliver its final CAA Football game of the season on November 23 with the Towson-James Madison matchup.

Last season, Towson made three appearances on the NBC Sports Network. The network televised the Tigers’ win over William & Mary, a loss at James Madison and the Tigers’ thrilling overtime victory at Delaware.

In addition to the five games scheduled on NBCSN, 13 CAA Football games will be offered on select NBC Sports Regional Networks. Telecast networks and times for those 13 additional CAA Football contests will be announced at a later date.

NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of the NBC Sports Group, consist of 13 regional networks that deliver more than 2,400 live sporting events annually, along with breaking news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming, to more than 50 million homes.

CAA Football begins its second year of a five-year broadcast agreement with the NBC Sports Network this fall. The network is the 24/7 cable platform for NBC Sports and is available in nearly 80 million homes. NBC Sports Network’s live-event coverage to digital, mobile and tablet users via its NBC Sports Live Extra platform. All NBC Sports Network games will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

Throughout the 2013 season, every game televised regionally on NBC Sports Regional Networks will also be simulcast digitally to out-of-market areas for free on CAA.TV. A select number of these specific games may also be featured in high definition and available live for free on the CAA iPad app. Digital broadcasts will be blacked out in areas where the telecast is available via fans’ cable provider. A free login will be required to view the games both via CAA.TV on a computer or using the CAA’s iPad app. More information on the CAA.TV login requirement will be available closer to the season and promoted via CAA Football’s online presence.

A complete list of CAA Football games on NBC Sports Network is listed below. (All time listed ET. Schedule subject to change.)

NEW YORK – NBC Sports Network will televise the February 23 match up of teams that played in the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Game when Loyola University Maryland hosts the University of Maryland, the network announced today.

Faceoff is set for 1:30 p.m. (ET) from Loyola’s Ridley Athletic Complex in what will be the Greyhounds’ home opener and the first regular-season meeting between the teams since 1989.

The teams played in last year’s title game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., where Loyola won its first NCAA championship. The Greyhounds set a title game record by allowing just three Terrapin goals in the 9-3 victory.

Loyola and Maryland are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook preseason media and coaches polls. The Greyhounds tied an NCAA Division I record last year with 18 wins.

NBC Sports Network is available in nearly 80 million homes nationwide. The network is also televising the Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic from Jacksonville, Fla., the weekend prior to the Loyola-Maryland game.

The game against Maryland is one of at least four that will be broadcast this season for Loyola.

The Greyhounds will face the U.S. National Team on January 27 from the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 at 11 a.m., and a tape-delayed airing of the game will show on ESPNU on Monday, January 28, at 12 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Loyola’s March 16 game against Air Force in Inside Lacrosse’s Whitman’s Sampler Mile High Lacrosse Classic in Denver will also be broadcast on ESPNU.

The Greyhounds’ April 27 game at Johns Hopkins will air live on ESPNU, as well.

Just as young children eagerly anticipate Christmas morning, horse players do the same for Breeders’ Cup. It is the culmination of the racing year, featuring the best thoroughbreds from around the world. For the sixth consecutive year, it will be a two-day event (Friday, Nov. 2nd and Saturday, Nov. 3rd) with total purses exceeding $25 million. Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA will be the venue for the 29th annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Day 1 (Friday) will feature six (6) Breeders’ Cup races on a Santa Anita 10-race card. 1st race Post Time at 4:06pm EDT (1:06pm PDT) with the Breeders’ Cup race slated for race 4 through 9. Here’s the line-up. All Post Times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time and will be televised on NBC and NBC Sports Network:

Day 2 (Saturday) will feature nine (9) Breeders’ Cup races on a Santa Anita 12-race card. 1st race Post Time at 1:05pm EDT (10:05am PDT) with the Breeders’ Cup race slated for race 4 through the finale, race 12. Here’s the line-up. All Post Times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time with televised coverage by NBC:

To help get you in the mood for some horse racing, here’s the last Breeders’ Cup race run at Santa Anita…

… does anyone remember (or care) who won that Wake-GT OT game that day (re: ESPN scroll at the wire)?!

And just when you thought Zenyatta was would give us a Fairy Tale ending to her career in the 2010 Classic, we only had one horse to Blame…

As distraught as Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was after that loss, he rode an eerily similar race aboard Drosselmeyer in last years Classic. Returning to the scene of the 2010 crime, snatching victory away from former girlfriend and recently retired, Chantal Sutherland who was aboard Game On Dude. Ya just can’t make this stuff up!

“The Breeders’ Cup continues to be the greatest two days of wagering anywhere in the world,” said Ken Kirchner, President of FalKirk International and the manager of the Breeders’ Cup wagering and simulcasting operations for the last 16 years. “With a tantalizing array of fractional wagers, like the 10 cent Superfecta and 50 cent Trifecta, Pick-3’s, Pick-4’s and Pick-5’s, players can be confident they will receive the highest betting value in all of racing. Among last year’s top payouts were a $71,510 Pick 5 for 50 cents; a $93,628 Pick 4 for $1; and a $444,571 Pick 6 for $2.”

Each Breeders’ Cup World Championships race will feature a maximum of 14 horses and wagering interests. In addition to the standard Win, Place and Show betting, there will be Exacta and Trifecta wagering on every race and rolling Pick 3 wagers beginning with the first race and continuing through all races on both Championship Friday and Championship Saturday. Among the featured wagers this year are:

• Friday’s Ultra Pick 6 will have a guaranteed gross pool of $1 million and Saturday’s Ultra Pick 6 will feature a $2 million guaranteed gross pool. If no one hits the Friday Ultra Pick 6, the pool will carry over into Saturday’s Ultra Pick 6. The wager is a mandatory payout at the end of the Saturday program. Last year’s Friday Pick 6 paid $444,571 for 6 of 6 winners, while no one selected all six winners on Saturday and five of six winners paid $95,070 for a $2 base wager.

• Breeders’ Cup Pick 5’s are offered on the first five races each day and will give players a chance to cash a large bet for a small investment. Last year, the Saturday Pick 5 paid $71,510 for a fifty cent bet.

• The Pick 4, with a 50-cent minimum, continues to be a fan favorite bet at the Breeders’ Cup. There will be three guaranteed Pick 4 pools. Friday’s all Championships Pick 4 (races 6-9) will have a guaranteed pool of $1 million. This Pick 4 paid $11,714 for a $1 wager last year. On Saturday, there will be two guaranteed Pick 4s. The early all Championships Pick 4 (races 4-7) will have a $1 million guaranteed gross pool and the late all Championships Pick 4 (races 9-12) will have a $2 million gross pool. The 2011 late Pick 4 on Saturday paid $93,628 for a $1 base wager.

• There will again be a Super High Five wager on both the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Bettors are required to select the first five finishing places on one ticket. If no one hits the Super High Five on Friday the pool will carry over to Saturday’s Super High Five on the Classic. The wager is a mandatory payout after the Classic. The Super High 5 on the 2011 Classic paid $156,424 for a $1 wager.

• A Daily Double wager linking the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic on Friday to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday will again be offered. Last year’s “Classic Double” of Ladies’ Classic winner Royal Delta and Classic winner Drosselmeyer paid $84.

• Breeders’ Cup continues to offer some of racing’s best average payouts, with the $2 exactas averaging $354; $2 trifectas averaging $2,860 and $1 superfectas averaging $11,563 in 2011.

TOWSON, Md. – More than two weeks after opening their season at Kent State University, Coach Rob Ambrose and the No. 12-ranked Tiger football team returns to Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium when the Tigers host Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary (0-2, 0-0) on Saturday, September 15 at 12 noon.

The Towson-William & Mary game will be nationally-televised on the NBC Sports Network. Todd Harris is the play-by-play announcer while Ross Tucker will handle the color commentary. Carolyn Manno is the sideline reporter.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

When the Tigers host William & Mary on Saturday, they will be seeking their eighth consecutive win in a home opener. Towson has not lost its home opener since 2004 when Northeastern beat Towson. The Tigers have an all-time record of 33-10 in home openers.

Saturday’s game will be “Hometown Heroes Day” with members from the Maryland National Guard, Wounded Warrior Project, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, Towson University Veterans Services, Fort Meade, and Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments participating in a special pre-game ceremony honoring America.

Prior to the National Anthem, members from the participating organizations will walk out onto the field holding a piece of American History – the National 9/11 Flag. Found in the aftermath of World Trade Center attacks on September 11, the National 9/11 Flag has been experienced by over 300 million Americans. The flag has been on a journey across America, stopping in each of the fifty states to be stitched back together by local heroes.

The National 9/11 Flag is steeped in history stemming out of the tragic 9/11 attacks. It has been stitched by survivors of the 2009 shooting at Ft. Hood in Texas, by World War II veterans on the deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, and by the family of Martin Luther King, Jr. It has also been stitched by Members of Congress and by thousands of everyday service heroes nationwide. Recently, a piece of the flag that Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest on was stitched into the fabric of this truly meaningful flag.

At the conclusion of the pre-game ceremony, the National 9/11 Flag will be on display on the South Concourse located inside Unitas Stadium.

Saturday’s game will also be Banner Day as the Tigers’ 2011 Colonial Athletic Association championship panel on the scoreboard will be unveiled.

The Tigers, who posted a 9-3 record last season and won the CAA with a 7-1 mark, had their bye week after their season-opening loss at Kent State. Coach Ambrose said the bye week was very beneficial to the team.

“The bye week was actually good for us,” says the Tigers’ fourth-year coach. “We spent the time working on focus, fundamentals and ball security. We also got a few players healthy. These are guys who weren’t able to play at Kent State.”

Last season, the Tigers beat William & Mary in Williamsburg, handing the Tribe its first-ever loss to Towson. Prior to the Towson victory, William & Mary had beaten Towson seven times in a row.

When the No. 15 Tigers handed No. 14 William & Mary a 38-27 last year, they improved to 6-1 overall and reached the halfway mark of their CAA schedule with a 4-0 record.

The Tribe comes into Unitas Stadium with an 0-2 record. William & Mary has dropped a pair of close games, dropping a 7-6 decision at Maryland and falling to Lafayette, 17-14.

“William & Mary’s defense is very good,” says Coach Ambrose. “At Maryland, their defense played out of its mind. They were truly impressive. Their loss to Lafayette doesn’t reveal too much because of the weather issues. We expect William & Mary to come into Unitas Stadium fully revved up to make everyone forget we actually beat them once.”

Turnovers and special teams mistakes were very costly at Kent State. The Tigers turned the ball over six times as Kent State converted those turnovers into 27 points. On special teams, the Tigers gave up 155 yards on kickoff returns and fumbled twice.

Senior quarterback Grant Enders (right) led the Tiger offense at Kent State. He completed a career high 26 passes in 36 attempts. Enders threw for 251 yards and a touchdown.

After falling behind by 17-0 in the opening ten minutes at Kent State, the Tigers didn’t run the ball as much as they planned. Although sophomore Terrance West was held to 36 yards on 14 carries, he did score two touchdowns. In 2011, West led NCAA FCS with 29 touchdowns scored. West has scored at least two touchdowns in his last nine games and now has 31 career touchdowns.

On defense, senior defensive end Romale Tucker and sophomore linebacker Kenton Powell led the Tigers in tackles at Kent State. Tucker and Powell are tied for the team lead with six tackles each.

The Tigers’ game against William & Mary is the first of two consecutive home games. Next week, Towson hosts its Homecoming Game against St. Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m.

TIGER TALES: Saturday’s game is the second of six Tiger games that are scheduled to be televised … It is also the Tigers’ first appearance on the NBC Sports Network … Towson’s games at Villanova and Delaware later this season will also be televised by NBC Sports Network.

Although the Tigers dropped a 41-21 contest to Kent State, they actually outgained the Golden Flashes … Towson had 331 yards of total offense while Kent State had 267 yards … Towson also had 20 first downs while Kent State had 15.

With 273 yards of total offense at Kent State, Enders ranks second in the CAA in that category … He is also second in the CAA with 251 passing yards.

I like Donald Glover on “Community” (Six seasons and a movie!) and all, but I was always skeptical about him as a performer. But honestly, not bad (lyrics NSFW)…

Quick. Favorite Counting Crows song ever. I’ll go with this…

Wale and Kevin Durant have something in common. I like them both a LOT but would like them a hell of a lot more if they weren’t Redskins fans…

Fiona Apple is coming to town. Anyone remember their awkward feelings about seeing her in her underwear in the “Criminal” video? I can’t tell you how confused I was about myself watching it the first time…

Ryan Chell and I are going to see That’s My Boy Tuesday night. It will probably make six billion dollars and everyone involved will get new cars. It used to piss me off because I don’t really find Adam Sandler’s shtick to be funny anymore, but there are a couple issues involved. One-Adam Sandler sat down with us at the Super Bowl and was really nice. He even opened up about my idol Chris Farley, which is something I found out later he really never does…

Two-over the past few months I’ve developed a unique friendship with Happy Madison star Peter Dante, who might be the best human being on the face of the planet. He’s the guy on the right below…

So now I hope the movie is funny and they make a billion dollars. Damn you, nice guys.

That’s right. For the first time in my (still?) young life, I will be roasting a pig Saturday. It’s all thanks in part to ABC Rental Store in Rosedale. A talented young man I listen to on the radio is always talking to me about them. I think his show is called “The Reality Check.” I PRAY my results make me as happy as George W. Bush…

Also, I will be hosting a qualifier for the Olympic KanJam team Saturday (more on Twitter @OlympicKanJam). I expect the day to look much like this…

According NBC, their network broadcast of the Preakness was watched by 9.8 million viewers, up 5 percent over last year’s viewership of 8.4 million. The viewership numbers are calculated by Nielsen, the ratings company that provides data to the networks.

The Maryland Jockey Club concluded its spring meeting at Pimlico Race Course last weekend, posting average wagering figures which were 9% higher than the 2011 spring meet. The average daily handle went from $4.72 million to $5.17 million. The stand featured 29 live racing dates and 21 simulcast days. More impressively, this was accomplished without having Chantal Sutherland (pictured above) mount a thoroughbred bare naked, and gallop around the Pimlico oval between races.

For those who were keeping tabs on GQ’s selections, the final statistics on the BEST BET and LONGSHOT PICK throughout the 29 racing days at Pimlico were…BEST BET: 29 selections – 11 WON – 8 PLACED – 3 SHOWEDLONGSHOT PICK: 29 selections – 3 WON – 2 PLACED – 8 SHOWED

Attendance was up nearly 9% at Pimlico as the Preakness day crowd increased from 107,398 to a record 121,309. Performances by Grammy Award winner Maroon 5 and Billboard Music Award winner Wiz Khalifa in the infield plus the presence of Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another in Baltimore for 12 days before the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown contributed to make it a must-see event.

All of this good news is contrary to what Kevin Van Valkenburg (ESPN The Magazine) proclaimed on Tuesday (May 22nd) during his weekly contribution on WNST’s “The Reality Check” with Glenn Clark. The former Baltimore Sun reporter (2000-2012) stated, “There is no saving horse racing. Like its, it is what its going to be, a long slow fade… it’s never really going to get to be anymore popular than it is now and can only kinda get less. It’s just sort of the way times have changed…”.

It’s interesting how someone who hails from Montana, and may have never set foot in a thoroughbred racing facility, unless assigned for a story, can make such an authoritative statement. I suggest KVV visit Belmont Park on Saturday June 9th to witness an event staged by a sport that is “never going to get anymore popular than it is now and can only kinda get less”. While you are on site, you could interview these two young ladies about the bleak future of horse racing.

Writing a blog about the sport I love and being able to post it on WNST.net is very rewarding in that it has the potential to reach thousands of sports fans. My mission has always been to inform, educate, share my opinions, welcome feedback and most of all try to convince fans that horse racing isn’t your grandfather’s sport anymore. Horse racing in the 21st century now appeals to “Gen X” thanks to technology with online wagering accounts, cable channels dedicated to horse racing, tutorials on how to read Past Performances, on-site musical entertainment, happy hours, etc.

It’s humbling when I hear from folks who read the blog and (forgive me Brian Billick) “take a leap of faith” by following my selections. This past weekend I received the below email from an appreciative gentleman, the Subject line read “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”.

My wife and I went to Pimlico, as we have done for many years now, for the Black Eyed Susan. We are casual bettors in the sense that, when we go, we commit an amount of money to lose and enjoy the day and the races. We know our way around looking at Past Performances (PPs) and enjoy the thrill of handicapping itself.

I printed your selections for the day to have as a guide against our picks and we went through the day winning a couple of bets but losing more along the way. We went our own way for the most part and let your selections influence us in some. Before the 11th race, I took stock of your selections and contrary to the sensibility (misguided as it was) I had, you had picked a number of winners and had a number of horses finish in the money. Side note: The only pick I did not understand to that point was Shimmering Forest all others I understood how a case could be made.

Then came the 11th, after taking stock of your selections and getting my wife’s direction to do a 6-7 Exacta box, I went to the window and picked (#1) Sensible Lady (your LONGSHOT PICK) to win and bet the $1 Trifecta 1-7-6 and 1-6-7. I went back to my seat to watch the race and my wife had no idea why I was jumping up and down as the 1 stormed down the stretch. After the win she looked at me perplexed and said, “that was the 1 not the 7.” I said “I know I bet the 1 to win.” She got happy and said, ”At least we will not go home with our pockets empty.” It was then I told her that I also bet the tri and then …oh baby!!! We were having trouble seeing the board and the payouts so we were quite pleased when we cashed in the tickets.

I talked you up to these guys, sitting next to us in the stands who were from Philly, directing them to WNST.net and told them to look for your Preakness day blog where you would predict the card. They wanted to buy me a drink because I turned them onto Sensible Lady and the tri.

I talked you up to this family from New Jersey at the Charred Rib (where separately, we and they went to celebrate the day) telling them to check you out.

We enjoy our days at the races regardless of betting outcome. You though, contributed to make this Black Eyed Susan an extra special outing and for that I thank you and WNST for the wisdom of carrying your blog.

Thank you and regards,
Gil from Perry Hall

P.S. I have looked and looked at the forms. Aside from Sensible Lady’s successes at 4-1/2 F, I still do not understand how you came to this pick. 7 and 6 had blazing times so without your selection I would have said my wife made the right play.

On Black Eyed Susan Day, Sensible Lady winning at 24-1 as my LONGSHOT PICK of the Day was the icing on the cake, of what turned out to be a very good day for me. But reading Gil’s email was more gratifying because it meant that I might be making an impact on my quest to increase interest in the Sport of Kings.

My blog will take the Summer off until Timonium opens in late August during the Maryland State Fair. Enjoy your Summer!